Madras High Court flags rampant use of banned ‘Cool Lip’ tobacco products among school students

The Madras High Court recently took note of the rampant use of an illegal smokeless tobacco product called ‘Cool Lip’ among students in schools across Tamil Nadu..The issue came under the Court's scanner while it was hearing a bail plea filed by a man booked for possessing several packets of the tobacco product which is banned in the State. Therefore, the Court suo motu impleaded the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the State's Education Department to ensure that the use of the product among school students is curbed.In the order passed on September 12, Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy of the Madurai Bench also directed the representatives of both authorities to appear before the Court for further enquiry on September 20..The Court was hearing a bail application filed by one Aunestraja, who was arrested and remanded to judicial custody in August this year after he was found in possession of 27 packets of Cool Lip tobacco products. The State claimed that he had purchased the Cool Lip products from other States and smuggled them into Tamil Nadu..The Court granted him bail considering that he had been in custody since August 25.However, the Court also noted that of late, it had come across several cases of seizure of Cool Lip products. The Court added it had also come across videos in which school students were seen consuming the Cool Lip products that have been banned by the State government.“This Court has been witnessing the seizure of large quantity of Cool lips products. Video footages show the school children using this cool lips product are behaving indifferently in the class by keeping this product between the cheek and and gum and also hitting each other. Repeated incidents were brought to the notice of this court that they are misbehaving and they are sitting in a dazed condition in the classroom. The teachers are finding it extremely difficult. The parents are unable to find out. Tobacco itself is unsafe. As a matter of fact, orders have been passed by the authorities of Tamil Nadu that it is an unsafe food. It will lead to cancer. More importantly, this pushes the school children towards the habit of going further for ganja and other narcotic substances once they become immune to the nicotine induced addiction,” the High Court said..It noted that while the TN government had banned the product, it was still being produced and sold in other States. Due to this, authorities in Tamil Nadu were having a hard time preventing the products from being smuggled into the State.The Court, therefore, decided to implead the State and the Union government as parties to inquire into the matter in detail..Advocate D Venkatesh appeared for Aunestraja, the bail applicant.Additional Public Prosecutor RM Anbunithi appeared for the TN government..[Read Order]